Using Jeanne Chall's widely applied model of reading development, this book examines the strengths and weaknesses in the reading, writing, and language development of children from low-income families to help identify the onset of their difficulties. The book shows how, in the transition from learning the medium to understanding the message, the…

This final report describes activities and accomplishments of the Wyoming Deaf-Blind Grant, a 3-year federally supported project to identify children who have deaf-blindness and to provide technical assistance in the development of educational services for these children. Major accomplishments of the project included: identification of more…

Based on research in infant sign language, this book teaches parents methods of communicating with their infants through the use of simple bodily movements that signify objects, events, and needs. Noting that communication between parent and child can flourish between 9 months and 30 months, when a baby's desire to communicate outstrips the…

This paper summarizes the discussions of a workshop that brought together 74 neuroscientists, cognitive psychologists, education researchers and practitioners, and policymakers to explore the possible relevance to early childhood education and special education of recent developments in neuroscience and cognitive psychology. The report discusses:…

It is argued that the negotiation of common ground is an important but neglected area of pragmatics and language learning. Samples of first and second language learners' conversations are analyzed to demonstrate the critical role of common ground in language learning, i.e., that (1) the interactions necessary for language learning are dependent on…

This overview provides basic information on the causes of deaf-blindness and the particular challenges faced by individuals with deaf-blindness. Causes of deaf-blindness include various syndromes, multiple congenital anomalies, prematurity, congenital prenatal dysfunction, and various postnatal causes. Differences between people deaf-blind from…

This document consists of three separately published fact sheets (for parents and teachers of children who are deaf-blind) combined here because of the close relationship of their subject matter: (1) "Communication Interactions: It Takes Two," by Kathleen Stremel; (2) "Expressive Communication: How Children Send Their Messages to You," by Kathleen…

Does early child care hinder or enhance infants' and toddlers' social and cognitive development? This longitudinal study investigated whether: (1) child care is related to qualities of mother-child interaction and the child's cognitive and language development in the first 3 years of life; (2) the child care environment interacts with the home…

This paper discusses the oral and written communication demands of school on children with hearing loss from a script viewpoint, which emphasizes describing the role of actors, actions, props, routines, and possible variations of a given event. The paper first distinguishes among the schema, the script, and the routine. It also considers the role…

Based on Montessori's ideas about children's innate capabilities and potential, this book encourages restructuring the home environment to provide children, especially preschool children, with opportunities for self-directed activities and personal autonomy. In each of the chapters, a different room is examined as to how it could be redesigned to…

The program, which lasted 136 days, was designed to provide classroom or tutorial services in the area of language development for pupils served in Chapter 1 eligible facilities for the neglected or delinquent. The evaluation of the program was based on standardized achievement test information (grades 2-12). Data were collected for the period…

This practicum project exposed seven preschool students with language deficiencies to multicultural experiences and strategies, resulting in improvements in both language and thinking skills. The children were included in a regular preschool program serving low-income families. The program was based on a multicultural awareness curriculum which…

The relationship between language, thought, and concept formation has been a central issue in many studies and theoretical discussions in various domains--philosophy, psychology, anthropology, and linguistics. The relation between language and concept development can be framed as two opposing questions: (1) Does the child learn concepts first and…

This report, arising from a 1991 meeting, provides an update to two of the six areas covered in the 1989 long-term plan of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. These include: (1) balance and the vestibular system; and (2) language and language impairments. For each area, the state of the art is reviewed, recent…

A study investigated a model that takes into account the influence of conceptual, cultural, and linguistic variables in formation of verbal and nonverbal concepts in bilingual children. This triple-interaction model states that concepts are represented in three ways: (1) nonverbally as abstract categories; (2) symbolically by means of…